Discipline Beliefs of Grandparents Raising Their Own Grandchildren: Are They Sparing the Rod When Not Spoiling the Child?

Background: According to the Census Bureau, more than 7 million grandchildren (GC) in the United States were being raised solely by their 2.7 million grandparents (GPs) in 2012. Parenting a GC can be challenging for GPs, especially since behavioral challenges and neurodevelopmental disorders are more prevalent in this population. Although GPs are traditionally allowed to “spoil” their grandchildren, effective limit-setting and discipline techniques are essential for GPs assuming a primary parenting role. Given that corporal punishment (CP) …